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Current Project: Headless 4

scottyd

scottyd

Commercial User
Nov 17, 2006
2,887
657
Waco Tx
Disclosures
Builder/owner Redeemer Basses
#1
This is a headless fourstring Im building on the cheap. Here are the specs:

4 string 34" scale, hidden neckthrough, fretted
headless tuners/bridge built by me
Duncan Bassline Jazz pups with matching wooden covers.. (Edit: I Decided to build the covers from cocobolo and poplar!)
Perhaps a home built active E.Q (in debate...):confused:
Home built truss system
Nine laminate neck of Purpleheart, Paduak, Maple
Mineral stained poplar body
quilted and mild burl maple top
Cocobolo fingerboard with Fiberoptic side markers

Well Im halfway through the build but ill start from the beginning. Also IM not sure of the picture posting rules here and I went to the rules section and didnt see anything so If Im wrong correct me and Ill fix the problem.

Heres the neck blank all glued up and squared.
Picture006.jpg


Heres the Poplar Im using pretty friggin sweet!:bassist:
000_0015.jpg


And heres the Maple top.
000_0009.jpg


This is the body cut out and routed for the neck
000_0020.jpg


Here I started carving the neck heel.
000_0025.jpg
 
#4
Greenman said:
scottyd said:
Heres the Poplar Im using pretty friggin sweet!:bassist:
000_0015.jpg


Pretty sweet indeed.
Is that mostly heartwood and what diameter tree would you need to get thos two pieces. I have alot of large Poplar in my area so I am interested to know more about thos blanks.
Click to expand...

Its mineral stained which is pretty common in poplar, espeacilly around rivers or lakes. I got it off ebay, enough for 2 blanks was about $30.00 shipped.
Click to expand...
 
#5
Linas said:
That looks like its coming along very nicely. I really like the way the neck contrasts, but i have a feeling that neck is very heavy.
Click to expand...


Thanks Linas. In a five or six string I would agree, this being a four and headless weight wont be a problem. Heres my last build i did using the other half of this blank and it balances very well even headed.


000_0017-1.jpg


Heres a shot of the scarf joint on that neck. Completly unplanned, because it orginally was intended to be a headless too. :D
bass3115.jpg
 
#6
Heres a pic of the neck shaped, just lacks a little bit more. I bought a microplane rasp and recommend it highly. It cut through the purpleheart like butter.
000_0002.jpg


Being glued in.
000_0004.jpg


Top bookmatched and glued on. At the top of the body is one of the pickup covers Ive started on
4654.jpg
 
#9
Rayle_Trail said:
Man, hows that fancy shmansy scarf joint, totally stealing that idea for my next build. LOL looks like a tie where it joins. Loving that poplar too, Im gonna be keeping my eye on this build thread for sure!
Cheers Rayle XOX
Click to expand...

THanks Rayle, Im pretty happy with the scarf joint too. That was the first one I ever did.
 
#12
scottyd said:
Thanks Linas. In a five or six string I would agree, this being a four and headless weight wont be a problem. Heres my last build i did using the other half of this blank and it balances very well even headed.


000_0017-1.jpg


Heres a shot of the scarf joint on that neck. Completly unplanned, because it orginally was intended to be a headless too. :D
bass3115.jpg
Click to expand...
Would it be possible to see some more photos of that bass? It's really amazing.

Thanks,
John.
 
#13
You got it John.

this bass is:
four string fretted neckthrough
34" scale 24 frets
Cocobolo fingerboard red fiberoptic side markers
body core of curly maple
Flamed redwood carved top
paduak back
Walnut and Maple venners for accent lines
nine laminate neck maple purpleheart paduak
curly maple scarf joint with accent lines
MM Active Soapbars with matching covers
MM 2band active EQ
Grover hardware

This thing has ended up being my main bass for practice and gigs. Ive been pretty busy playing SO unfortunately Its still got some minor stuff needing done before its completly finished. (truss rod cover, Finish sanding and buffing) Also the picture quality isn't that great on account of its hard to get pics of this bass that best represents its color in alot of light.

000_0016.jpg


The fiber optics, also very hard to photo but pretty cool none the less.
000_0025-1.jpg

Venner lines
000_0022-1.jpg
 
#15
This is all I got done today. I scrapped the idea of using maple for the pickup cover and decided to use poplar topped with cocobolo to match the fingerboard. They make the Jazz pups look beefier and will provide good area for resting a thumb on.

hghg.jpg


ggfgg.jpg
 
#18
Thanks for the nice compliments. I built my truss rod today. I dont like buying them premade anymore on account of its a waste of money and I cant get them in the length I like. Supplies for this truss cost me $5.35. Its 25 1/4" long. I need it that this because I want it to go the whole length of the neck and accessible from the end of the fretboard on the body. I like to do it this way for a couple of reasons, #1 no weakness in the headstock from adjusting nut(not such a big concern with this bass), #2 when I run the fiber optics I will already have a small pocket in the body where the fibers go from the fingerboard to the control cavity, so why not have the adjusting nut there too. Also I can make the fingerboard a little longer if I like for a fancy shape or something.

So I went from this
65465564.jpg


To this.
2025.jpg
 
#19
Scottyd,
When you get to the fiber optics could you please take lot of pics especially how you go from under the the fretboard to the body and connecting the fibers to the led. Do you put anything in front of the fibers such as a side dot or do you drill through the dots to have the fibers end flush. I thought it would be cool to have the fibers luminate the side dots kind of like the leds do. thanks Tim
 

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